Ana Pires 2.0

There’s a TV show called “The Greatest Portuguese”.
It’s not original to Portugal, the same contest has been held in many countries (see a list here), and has had it’s origin on BBC’s 100 Greatest Britons.

It started in October 2006, and just ended, minutes ago.

There were really great people nominated for top 10. Distinguished kings, politicians who actually knew what they were doing, sailors who made remarkable discoveries, extraordinary poets, people who had an amazing sense of what’s right and knew what was necessary to make a nation… and a dictator.

Who won? The dictator.

Holy fuck. I cannot believe Salazar won. A dictator. He won. A contest called “The Greatest Portuguese”. I mean, a dictator, you know? The kind that doesn’t let you think, and that, if you do think and say something, arrests you and tortures you until you agree that knowledge is a bad thing. This is, if you don’t die in the process!

We had the first Portuguese king on the list, the one who created Portugal. We had sailors who were pioneers in marine courses, that brought wealth to Portugal. We had a man who saved millions of Jews from Hitler (by disobeying the dictator by the way). We had two of the greatest poets of all time, pure geniuses.

And the dictator wins.

Even if he was good in Economics, and even if there were people who thought in a clear and non rebellious spirit that he might have been good to Portugal in some remote and not comprehensible to me kind of way, it’s unthinkable to compare him to all the other great personalities that appeared on the show.

It’s not called “The Most Relevant Portuguese”. Sure, he was relevant. He balanced our Economy, he got many people killed, he started many conflicts from which resulted many other killings, he made his people live in misery, he slowed down the country’s development… He was relevant, it’s impossible to not mention him in History.

But the show is called “The Greatest Portuguese”, and there is absolutely no way he was one.

I understand this is cultural kind of entertainment. But still. A dictator. It’s not normal.

Like many people said, his winning might have happened for some different reasons other than consideration from the people who voted for him. He’s a relatively recent part of our History, so it’s not easy to see in a whole what he’s done to the country. Also, there was lots of controversy concerning his nomination, which gave him more attention. I’d like to think it was because of those kind of things.

Right now, if he were still in charge, I’d be in prison. No, wait. I wouldn’t have Internet, because the Internet gives knowledge and allows people to communicate. Which is a bad thing. But I probably wouldn’t know how to read or write either way, since I’m a young woman and my role would be to stay at home and have babies.

Hmpf. Bitch.

My country isn’t in a very good shape. Don’t get me wrong. I love it here, I’m very proud of our past, and I really believe we have a future. But really. Our Education is terrible. Our Health is too. Our Economy. Our everything. Basically, our politicians aren’t very good ones.

But!

I’m not here to talk about how lousy my country is because of our lousy government. I’m here to talk about how annoyed I am over people who can only seem to blame it.

If I see a young man, with a degree, out of work, and I hear “Damn, our education and work systems are all messed up! This really is Portugal!”, I can only agree. A homeless old man, going hungry and cold, “Look at that, it’s not fair! How can they let people live like this?! Portugal!”. Yes, absolutely. The bus is late. “Ah, where else could we be? We’re in Portugal, of course the buses are late!”. Wait, what? The sun’s shinning, suddenly, it starts to rain. “I can’t believe this, only in Portugal!”. What?!

I can understand people are mad at how things are going around here. Believe me, I’m not very happy either.

But seriously. It’s like everyone wants to be infuriated about something, and when that something doesn’t exist, anything goes. It’s almost funny. The typical smirk always makes me smile. So does the know-it-all look and the disapproving nod.

Stop being so indignant, you can’t blame the damn country for everything.

Oh damn! A time-out when I tried to post! Damn you Portugal!

Which means, Spring is definitely here. And after Spring… comes the Summer…

Flowers are starting to bloom, the sun’s shining, the weather’s been warmer, there are disgusting little insects flying and crawling everywhere… I want my Winter back!

The rainy mornings you get to stay at home, like in weekends. And then you go get a steaming cappuccino at the kitchen in your robe, and you happen to pass by a window and see people running in the rain, and you feel all warm and cozy. And those sunny, freezing afternoons, in which, although there’s a blinding sun in the sky, it’s really, really cold. Those are my favourites. And as I mentioned above, the total absence of insects. Okay, maybe not total, but you don’t really see many ants or bees in Winter. And the clothes you get to wear! Heavy, warm, pretty coats and turtlenecks and sexy boots.

How can you not love Winter? But now it’s over, again. The time of sweating and feeling yucky is approaching. And the insects.

PS: I hate the beach, so no, not an option.
PPS: No, no pools either. It’s the water that bugs me.

It turns 10 years today I’ve had my cat, Luna. She was born in February’s 1st, and came home one month later.

A colleague of my mother’s was trying to give away stray kittens to prevent drowning from angry neighbors, and my mother accepted to have one. I can remember it so clearly, she had the night shift at the telephone company she worked in, and arrived at 9 in the morning. I, of course, was already up with excitement, waiting for the new family member. And then she came.
I skipped school that day, my mother and I both stayed home playing with little Luna. It’s one of the sweetest memories I have with both of them.

10 years. That’s like, a long time. I don’t think people realize how much I love that animal. They’d probably make fun of me if they did. But anyway. Happy anniversary to us

Isn’t my baby a beauty? :3